Member-only story
This Intense Skin Care Product Has Become a Pandemic Obsession
Why first-time tretinoin use is on the rise
The first week he started tretinoin, Jordyn Alexander-Johnson ended up with a chemical burn. “I wasn’t using any moisturizer,” he says. Big mistake. Using tretinoin — a form of vitamin A that’s known for its effectiveness in treating acne and reducing signs of aging — is drying and requires that you almost bathe in moisturizer after. And then roll around in sunscreen.
After a two-week break, the 30-year-old Dallas resident tried again, this time with the elaborate skincare routine that tretinoin demands. He had previously completed two rounds of Accutane after years of dealing with skin problems in high school and wanted to try a topical treatment to keep his skin clear.
“It’s really hot and humid here, so using all these products can make you look like you’re sweating a lot,” he laughs, adding that less face time with people during the pandemic has helped make this manageable. “I’m working from home right now, so that’s probably why I’m doing so well with tretinoin.”
After cities across the world went into lockdown in 2020, people like Alexander-Johnson took advantage of the prolonged time spent indoors to try out stronger skincare products and treatments that they had previously been wary…
